Wheelchairs provide an excellent service for those who need to own them. Wheelchairs allow those without mobility the chance to move around. However, wheelchairs do not allow users to carry many items. In fact, unimproved wheelchairs do not allow user to carry items that cannot fit on the user's lap. The prior art lacks devices that are a part of wheelchairs that aid in carrying personal items of the wheelchair user and which provide easy access to the backpack of the user of the wheelchair.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,443, to Kehler, has an issue date of Apr. 24, 1990. The invention is directed to a swing-out backpack for wheelchair use. The backpack comprises a container box with sides, a back, a front, a top, and a bottom. The box has a pivotal door therein to provide access to an interior chamber within the box. A structure releasably secures the container box to the side frame and back post assembly of the wheelchair. It includes a post to be secured in vertical orientation to the wheelchair at one side of the back thereof. The container box is pivotally mounted to the post to swing between a first position adjacent an armrest of the wheelchair and a second position behind the wheelchair. According to the present invention, the device may be readily adapted to most types of wheelchairs, and provides a removable, easily useable container box for use by a person in a wheelchair for supporting or storing objects.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,558, to Shero, has an issue date of Apr. 1, 2003. The patent is directed to an improved, multi-function, comfortable wheelchair with interchangeable padded seats. A bedpan is positioned on a rail underneath a hole in the seat and accesses a waste storage chamber. The bedpan can be emptied through a door in the front of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,663, to Rundle et al., has an issue date of Dec. 31, 1996. The patent is directed to a multi-purpose wheelchair accessory that is secured to a side surface of a conventional wheelchair. The accessory includes a provision for holding personal items in a concealed compartment beneath an extension of an armrest. In addition, a cane is positioned along one end of the accessory allowing the wheelchair operator additional support if needed upon leaving the confines of the wheelchair. A tray table is stored along one side surface of the accessory and includes a hinge allowing the table to be rotated from a storage position into a horizontal plane directly in front of the armrest allowing the person a platform for working and eating. The accessory further extends outward wherein the cane operates as a leg providing an extended handrail in front of the wheelchair allowing the person who leaves the wheelchair a range of support that is not possible from the conventional armrest position. In addition, the apparatus detaches from the wheelchair and includes a curved section which allows the accessory to operate as a ramp. The ramp provides a first level of height which can be doubled by rotating of the cover into a support position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,331, to Sanders, has an issue date of Oct. 13, 1992. The patent is directed towards a device for providing a secure storage area for the personal items of a wheelchair user. The device includes padded arm rests to encourage the user to rest their arms on the comfortable, padded surface, further enhancing the security of the storage device by making it more difficult to remove the storage device from the arm resting portions of the wheelchair without detection by the wheelchair user.
There is a need, however, for a wheelchair that can carry a backpack. The user can extend a handle from under his or her wheelchair's armrest. The user secures that handle into position. Then the user pulls it forward and a bar holding the backpack swings out and forward from the back of the wheelchair, bringing the backpack to the side where the user is able to reach it. The hinged joint further allows the user to pull the backpack down towards the user for easier access. None of the above patents meet this need and it would be beneficial to protect the pivoting wheelchair backpack holder.